Monochrome
by AlexMontgomery
Summary: Shy, apathetic Shiroi couldn't say no when her mom packed her bag. The outside world is scary, and the Pokémon activist group, Team Plasma doesn't make thing easier. Scarier still, the Team's leader has taken an interest in her. Growing up isn't black and white, even if it's hard to tell one color from the next. N/OC, Cheren/Bianca


**Authors Note:** Why do I do this to myself?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokemon or anything related to Nintendo and GameFreak

* * *

The teacher smiled as she looked over her students shoulders. They were all drawing nice and quietly. She glanced at the drawing done by a little girl with white haired pulled into a low braid. "Shiroi," said the teacher. "Why is the grass yellow? And… are those supposed to be clouds? Honey, we're supposed to be drawing what you see out your window."

Little Shiroi looked up at her teacher. Her grey eyes looked rather tired, like she had heard this complain more than enough times. "This is what I see…" Shiroi argued.

_Sometimes, I don't mind seeing things the way I do. But, I do want to see for myself what green looks like. What brown is, and orange. _

**Chapter One  
****Professors Gift**

Shiroi chugged down a few gulps of Moomoo Milk, right from the bottle, while in her half-awakened state. She wasn't quite dressed yet, not completely, only in her black and white top, and blue denim shorts. She took out last night's leftovers of mushroom pizza. Closing the door, Shiroi came face-to-face with the family's Stoutland, Hachi. "Stop begging," Shiroi grumbled. "I'm not gonna drop it."

"_- number of Pokémon rights active's are growing. Not a day goes by in Unova where people aren't seen releasing the Pokémon they've come to care for." _

"They're still going on about it?" Shiroi's mother, Shizuka asked, walking into the living room with a load of laundry. "I mean, being concern for the well-being of Pokémon is admirable, but these activists really don't sound like their taking into consideration what _Pokémon_ want."

Shiroi sighed. Three month's ago a Pokémon activist group known as Team Plasma challenged the people of Unova to consider what they're doing to Pokémon. Keeping them trapped in small balls, and forcing them to do our bidding. Shiroi never paid much attention to them, it was like Shizuka said, they didn't think about what the Pokémon wanted.

"Has there been a call or, letter from Akari?" Shiroi, wanting to change the subject, asked.

Akari, Shiroi's older sister, left home about a month ago to the little-known region of Almia for their Pokémon Ranger School. The family hadn't heard from Akari since she passed the entrance exam. "Afraid not," Shizuka sighed. "They don't have phone's at the Ranger School, so sending mail by is the only way to go. Now, _Dad_ on the other hand-"

"Dad called and you didn't tell me?!"

Daichi, Shiroi's father and Shizuka's husband was an ex-trainer himself. Since his own journey Daichi became an archeologist. Right now he was over at a dig in the Johto region, had a two week vacation, then had to travel to the Hoenn region.

Shizuka always said Shiroi took after Daichi more than she did her mom. Shiroi could kind of see what she meant. Daichi gave Shiroi two key things, his white hair, and color blindness.

"Well," Shizuka prated on. "We didn't really chat, he just wanted to know if the package came yesterday."

"What package?"

"On, you know me and my old age. Can't do these chores as well as I used to. I do wish I had _some_ help."

Shiroi let out an audible groan, and helped Shizuka with the laundry. Shizuka was once a trainer herself, in fact, Hachi was one of her closest partners. She settled down and became a housewife after she married Daichi and had Akari. She always kept her indigo hair in a loose bun, and had a style of clothing that anyone would describe as 'mom clothes.' It Shizuka from whom Shiroi got her grey eyes from.

After the clothes were folded and put away, Shizuka instructed Shiroi to wait in the living room. Her mother returned with a parcel with a return address to the apartment in Johto Daichi was living in. There were two things inside the parcel, a watch-like device, and a tightly sealed envelope. Curous, Shiroi got the envelope opened, revealing a neclace with a wing-like pendent. "What the-?" Shiroi's voice trailed off as she studied the piece of jewelry.

"It's a silver wing," Shizuka explained, taking the necklace from Shiroi. "While this is only a replica, in Johto it's believed that the real silver wing can call forth the legendary Pokémon, Lugia."

She placed the necklance around Shiroi's neck, and clasped it together. "I assume Dad got one for Akari, too," smiled Shizuka.

"What about the Xtranciver?" Shiroi asked, with the device in her hand. In reality, it was a deep pink, but to Shiroi couldn't tell. "What do I need it for if I'm not-"

_**SLAM!**_

The front door was thrown open, standing in the doorway was a young man, Shiroi's age, with black hair, grey eyes, and a pair of glasses. He looked like he ran a marathon, which was kind of amazing since the lived next door to each other. "Cheren?!" Shiroi gasped. "You scared me!"

"My dad just told me," the boy, Cheren, said, closing the door behind him. "We can choose our Pokémon, today?"

"Huh?!" Shiroi looked back at her mom, who simply smiled.

"Didn't I tell you, Shiroi?" Shizuka asked innocently. "They're upstairs in your room."

Cheren shouted for Shiroi to follow him, but he was already half-way up the staires. Sighing, Shiroi followed. "Wait for Bianca before choosing!" Shizuka shouted.

"We will!" the teens replied.

* * *

Shiroi sat on her bed, hiking up her white knee-socks. On her desk sat three Poké Balls and a note from Professor Juniper. "Where's Bianca?" Cheren asked impatiently as Shiroi laced up her black boots.

"You know Bianca," Shiroi said "Set her off early, and she'll still be the last to arrive."

The white-haired girl was, in reality, nervous. Getting her own Pokémon was exciting, but Shiroi didn't doubt that Shizuka expected her to go off on her own journey like she, Daichi, and even Akari at one point, did.

A set of foot-falls echoed in the house when the blonde girl finally arrived. "Am I all little late?" she asked, closing the door behind her. Bianca was dressed in orange and white with a green hat on her head. "So-rry!"

"Bianca," Cheren began, his arm's folded over his chest. "I've known for years that you have no sense of time, but… seriously!"

"I know," Bianca said, fiddling with her fingers. "Sorry Shiroi, sorry Cheren."

"Don't worry about it," said Shiroi. "Some of us need to learn patients."

"On any other day," Cheren murmured.

"So where's the Pokémon?" asked Bianca.

"Right there," Shiroi gestured to her desk. She took the note from it.

'_I've brought three Pokémon,' the note read.  
_'_One for you and one for each of your friends.  
__Please settle your choices politely.  
__Enjoy your Pokémon!  
__- Professor A. Juniper'_

"Who want's to choose first?" asked Shiroi.

"I think you should," Bianca spoke up. "They were delivered to your place first, so…"

Shiroi studied the three Poké Balls. Her fingers twitched slightly before she wrapped her hands around one of them. Shiroi pressed the button in the center of the ball down, and a bright broke through as it opened. "Oshawott!" the water-type Pokémon smiled.

"Aw! It's so cute!" Bianca cooed. She stached the second Poké Ball, and opened it. A small pig-like creature appeared. Laughing, Bianca wrapped her arms around Tepig. "I love you already! We're gonna be the best of friends, I can tell."

"Te-pig!"

Cheren muttered a snide commenting, and grabbed Snivy's ball. "I wanted a Snivy anyway," he muttered.

With Oshawott in her hands, Shiroi studied the little creature. She always heard that it wasn't uncommon for Trainer's to give their Pokémon a nickname. What would be a good nickname for a water-type? "Think I'm gonna call you Finnick," Shiroi said, scratching Oshawott by the ear.

"Osha, Osh!"

"As in the character from those _Hunger Games _books?" asked Cheren.

"So?" Shiroi shot back, her face red with embarrassment.

"In any case," Cheren said, adjusting his glasses. "We should properly thank Professor Juniper for this."

"Oh, yeah!" beamed Bianca. "I need to pick up a couple things first, though. So, let's meet at the lab."

Both Bianca and Cheren left the room. After returning Finnick to his ball, Shiroi put her black and white jacket on, and headed down stairs. She had everything planed out in her head. _'Mom, I'm happy that I have my own Pokémon now. But I don't want to go on a journey. I'd rather stay home where it's safe. I'm sure you understand.'_

"So, you're headed out?" Shizuka asked with a smile, and an already packed backpack.

And the white-haired girl replied with a brilliant, "Uh…"

"You have everything you need?" her mom asked, looking through Shiroi's bag. "Em… looks like it. Oh, don't forget the Xtransceiver. Make sure to give me a call when you have time."

She helped her daughter put the Xtransceiver on to Shiroi's right wrist. "I will," Shiroi murmured. That really hadn't gone as she had planed.

Her mom pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you," Shizuka smiled.

"Love you…"

Hachi's nose brushed up against Shiroi's hand. "Yes, yes," Shiroi smiled weakly. She pet the dog-Pokémon on the head. "You better be taking care of the house and Mom."

"Stoutland," barked Hachi.

Waving good-bye to Shizuka and Hachi, Shiroi hurried out of the house. This was going to be great, too bad the Professor's Lab was fifteen minutes away from the house.

Unsurprisingly, Cheren was the first one at the Lab. His back leaned against the outside wall, with his own travel bag at his feet. "And once again Bianca's late," said Cheren.

"Cut her some slack," said Shiroi. "It's not like we're preparing for a play date."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Bianca shouted as she ran up to them. Her face was flushed from running, but Shiroi couldn't help but notice that her eyes were slightly puffy. Did something happen back home?

"All right, let's go," Cheren smiled.

The Lab was mostly empty, aside from Professor Juniper. She stood in front of a table with three Pokédex's and fifteen Poké Ball's. "Hi thee," the Professor smiled. "I've been waiting for you.

"Thank you for the Pokémon, Professor," Shiroi said. "I can't tell you how grateful I am."

"Yes, we really appreciate it," added Cheren.

"Em… It's not that I'm not grateful, Professor," Bianca began. "But why did you trust us with these little guys?"

"Well, I assume the three of you know about the Pokédex," said Professor Juniper. "I want to ask you three to visit many places and meet all the Pokémon in Unova. Will you do this?"

"Okay!" exclaimed Bianca. Realizing her outburst, she composed herself and smiled. "Yes, Professor!"

"Of course I will," Cheren nodded. "I've finally become a Pokémon Trainer, exactly as I've always wished."

Shiroi shifted from side to side, her hands in her jacket pocket. "Sure," she muttered. "I'll do it."

"That's what I like to hear," smiled Professor Juniper. She handed each of them a Pokédex and five set's of Poké Balls. "You'll need these if you want to fulfill your task. If you have any question's don't hesitate to give me a call, okay. Keep in mind that it doesn't matter where you go or how you get there, but rather deciding if you want to go in the first place.

"Yes ma'am!"

"This is so exciting!" Bianca exclaimed as the three walked out of the Research Lab and onto Route 1. "Guy's we have to take our first step onto Route 1 together!'

"Really, Bianca," sighed Cheren. "You can be so sentimental."

They came to a stop at the very edge of town. Beyond that point was Route 1. "All right," said Bianca. She linked arms with Cheren and Shiroi. "Let's take our first step out of town together!"

"Here we go," Cheren smiled.

"Heh… no turning back after this…" murmured Shiroi.

Together, the three of them took their first step out of Nuvema Town. There was an awkward silence as the three relaxed their arms. Bianca was the first to break the silence with, "I wonder what will happen from here on out… Isn't this so exciting?!"

'_To you, maybe…' _thought Shiroi.

"It sure is," agreed Cheren. "I'm headed to Accumula Town."

"I guess that's a good idea," said Shiroi. "It's the closest town after all."

Shiroi took off running before her friends could say anything more. If she didn't leave now, she would certainly chicken out and beg Shizuka to let her come home. She didn't want to let Shizuka and Daichi down.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

- The title 'Monochrome' mostly comes from Shiroi's color blindness. Yes, I know what being color blind means, but it also suites the whole black and white theme of the game so it stuck.  
- The family Stoutland was nicknamed after Hachiko.  
- Shizuka is from Johto.  
- If I ever get to it, there's a spin-off-like story that stars Shiroi's sister Akari and her adventures in the Almia region.  
- Yes, Shiroi's a fan of the Pokémon version of Hunger Games.


End file.
